Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Katsuki is somewhere he doesn’t recognize— a big ballroom, with chandeliers hanging above dazzling the room with luminous golden glow. The roman pillars, walls, and large windows are filled with grand and magnificent decorations emanating a classy look, something fairytale like.

The fuck?

He blinks his eyes, curious as to where he is. He then looks around and sees women wearing elegant ballgowns, men in Victorian attire, and everyone wearing masks. He hears some chatters, soft laughters here and there, and wine glasses clanking quietly.

He doesn’t know why he’s suddenly in a masquerade ball, so he just stands there unsure of what to do and where to go. He touches his face and realizes he’s also wearing a mask. He then touches his hair feeling something off and instantly curses upon realizing his hair is combed down. Seriously, what the fuck? Then he looks at his clothes and sees he’s wearing white long sleeves with a blue vest and khaki pants—simpler than what the others are wearing but doesn’t make him look out of place.

Where the fuck am I?

A soft melody suddenly plays and he notices people pairing up and walking towards the dance floor. They’re going to fucking dance? He instantly searches for the exit hoping to get out of wherever the fuck he is. He doesn’t want to stay there and fucking dance.

While glancing around looking for some door, someone suddenly catches his attention—a weird looking boy staring directly at him. It seems the world freezes the moment his gaze landed on the boy and he can’t help but stare back.

Despite the black mask hiding the upper half of the boy’s face, he still looks alluring. His hair is weird though, different color, split in the middle. His half white hair is combed up while the half red hair falls perfectly on his face. He also notices that the boy is wearing a very elegant Victorian attire—white frilly long sleeves, red vest with yellow lining, black pants, and black coat.

His eyes fall back to the boy’s and they stay staring at each other for what feels like forever. Then, the boy starts walking towards his direction, not tearing his gaze away. He feels the world slows down and his heart beats fast as he watches the boy approaching him.

Suddenly, the boy is in front of him, bowing slightly then offering him a hand.

“Would you like to dance with me?”

His answer should have been no because he doesn’t fucking want to dance. And why would he even dance with some stranger in a place who-knows-where. But he finds himself taking the hand of the boy and letting said stranger walk him towards the center.

His hand is so fucking cold.

They stop in the middle of the dance floor. The boy gently picks his hand and then lifts it to rest on the boy’s shoulder. The boy then holds his waist before intertwining their free hands and then lifting them to a dancing position.

Katsuki only stands there, bewildered as he lets the boy do all that.

A new music plays, the sound seems familiar to Katsuki but he doesn’t remember where or when he heard that mellow melody. His feature must have shown confusion, but the boy only smiles at him before taking a first step.

The boy moves elegantly, gently guiding Katsuki to follow his lead and surprisingly, Katsuki lets himself follow along, his movements in sync with the boy. They’re dancing in tune with the soft music—they waltz swiftly, spinning and shuffling their feet to the slow, rhythmic, and beautiful sound, all while staring directly into each other’s eyes.

Mesmerizing. Katsuki thinks as his ruby eyes locked onto the boy’s mismatched ones—one gray and one turquoise, like a peaceful and calm sea for one and a stormy and angry sea for the other, but both drowning Katsuki into the boy’s captivating gaze.

They continue dancing, now moving as one, perfectly matching each other’s steps as they glide and turn and move their feet in time with the music. And with every flowing movements, Katsuki can feel his heartbeat increasing steadily. He’s not quite sure if it’s because of their continuous dancing or because of the closeness, the gaze, or the boy holding him.

Contrary to the fast beating of his heart, everything around him seems to slow down, making the dance feel like an eternity. Their surroundings are now blurry and he can only focus on the boy still staring and smiling softly at him. With his attention solely captured by the boy and their dance, every matching steps, every swift motions, every swings and sways and swirls embed deeply into his memory.

It feels like an eternity but not quite because the song comes to an end and they slow down before the boy gently lets go of his hand and his waist after the song stops. Katsuki does the same, letting his hands fall to his side. They’re left standing breathless—their chests heaving up and down as they stare at each other with contented smiles. And again, Katsuki’s conflicted on how he feels, not sure if the lack of oxygen is because he just danced or because of how breathtaking the boy in front of him looks.

The boy then holds his hand and suddenly turns, pulling him away from the crowd. Katsuki’s surprised at himself for not snatching his hand and shouting at the boy given the sudden gesture. He’s actually very confused with whatever’s happening because in normal circumstances, he would never agree dancing with someone and now he’s even letting that someone drag him somewhere.

What the fuck is happening to me? And who is this pretty boy dragging me? And where are we going? And what the fuck is this weird feeling in my chest?

His train of thoughts is cut off when the boy stops in front of him. He feels cold breeze hitting his skin and he notices they’re in a balcony away from the crowd and the noise inside. The boy lets go of his hand and moves towards the railing.

He only stares at the back of the boy who is now leaning on the edge of the balcony, looking up into the night sky. The boy must have noticed he’s not moving closer, so the boy turns around to look at him then reaches for his hand again tugging him lightly so they’re facing each other.

The boy doesn’t let go of his hand this time, making Katsuki’s body feel warm despite the hand intertwined in his being so cold. The boy lifts up their hands in a dancing position again then puts his other hand on Katsuki’s back while stepping closer. Too close, Katsuki can feel the icy breath of the boy adding to the coldness of the night breeze but ironically, also adding warmness to his chest. Katsuki’s other hand lands on the boy’s chest as an abrupt reaction, making the boy huff and smile in return. The boy then starts moving, forcing Katsuki to join his steps and dance again. The boy hums the same music they danced to, and Katsuki’s sure his brain stops functioning because they’re dancing so close now, his face slightly looking up to the boy’s. So fucking close. The moonlight shining above is not helping as it makes the boy’s eyes glimmer, and Katsuki can’t help but be captivated with how ethereal the boy looks.

The boy then swirls him and Katsuki being a stupidly starstruck swooning moron is caught off guard so he almost trips but the boy catches him, hand steady on his back and eyes firm on his, helping him in a steady position.

“You dance gracefully.” The boy says but Katsuki thinks he should be the one saying that to the boy.

Katsuki’s about to speak when the boy reaches for his mask, slowly removing it from his face. His mouth went dry when the cold hands brush his cheeks, leaving him speechless. He only stares back as the boy’s hands linger on his face, the cold touch making his spine shiver or maybe it’s because of the closeness or the weird gesture or the boy’s gaze?

“You’re beautiful.” The boy speaks again while caressing Katsuki’s cheeks softly after removing his mask.

Katsuki can feel his face heats up against the cold hands of the boy, his stomach churning weirdly and his heart now pounding in his chest.

“...I uhm, I think I should be the one saying that.” Katsuki says then he hesitantly lifts his hands to remove the boy’s mask but the boy catches them on his own, stopping him before he reaches the boy’s face.

“Don’t. It’s unsightly.”

Then slowly, the boy’s image becomes blurry and then almost disappearing in front of him as he continues reaching for the boy’s face.

“Wait!”

…

Katsuki jolts up with hands reaching for something. He closes his hands and puts them down beside him while blinking and noticing he’s back in his room.

So he’s just dreaming then? It felt so fucking real. And there’s the lingering feeling of weird warmness in his chest.

It’s unsightly. Those words echo in his mind and he recalls what the fuck is unsightly again?

He tries to remember his dream, then suddenly everything is coming back at him— the ballroom, ballgowns, that one soft melody— something in his brain clicks, that melody caught his attention while he’s out walking in the street earlier when he’s going home and he can’t stop humming it until he went home, so maybe that’s why it’s in his dreams? He then remembers the dance. Oh god the dance was nice. His heart beats fast upon remembering the feeling he had during the dance. Wait, what the fuck. Then he remembers the night sky, moonlight, soft humming, cold hands in his face. He touches his cheeks reminiscing the cold touch and he can almost feel the lingering coldness with how real the dream felt. And just like in the dream, his heart warms in return. What the actual fuck.

Why the fuck am I getting all this weird feeling from a fucking dream? Who is that person in my dream again?

He recalls and realizes he remembers everything but one— the face of the person he danced with. He tries hard searching his memory, but he can only remember a blurry image and flashes of different colors— white, red, gray, blue or green, like the sea.

Why the fuck would I remember so many colors recalling only one person?

Maybe their clothes? He recalls again, and he thinks he’s sure the person is wearing something dark giving him a slightly eerie feeling now that he’s just recalling.

Then he remembers seeing mask, so maybe that’s why he can’t recall the person’s face? He remembers he was about to remove the mask when the person stopped him. It’s unsightly. Oh, so that’s what’s unsightly. But even if he can’t exactly recall the person’s face, something tells him it’s not unsightly, far from it actually. Well, that’s what he feels base from his intuition only.

He digs his mind, still trying to recall who the person is. Does he know whoever the fuck that is? Someone from work? One of the people he dated before? He ponders, but he gets nothing. No one comes to his mind that radiates the same weird aura. It’s odd because he feels like he knows the person but he can’t really think of who might that be.

He shrugs off his thought, not wanting to dwell on that any longer. Why the fuck is he even dreaming about something like that? He’s not reading some fairytale shits so why the fuck did he dream being in a fucking ball? He doesn’t have any weird fantasies like that so what the hell? He’s not a fucking girl fantasizing about some pretty fucking person asking him for a dance. Fuck no.

Whatever, dreams are weird anyway. And this one is just one of those that doesn’t make any sense so instead of rummaging through his thoughts, he decides to just put aside whatever the fuck weird dream he had.

He checks the time and sees it’s almost dawn so he might not be falling back to sleep anymore. He decides to start the day early and maybe go for some jog before heading to work.

…

Katsuki’s day is the same. He goes to work, then passes by the supermarket to buy something to cook, then he goes back to his apartment, then he cooks his dinner, then he eats, then he takes a shower, then he goes to bed and scrolls through his phone before dozing off. It’s the same every fucking day and sometimes he wishes there’s something new to his mundane life.

The only time his life strays from his daily routine is when his friends bug him to hang out, usually Fridays and weekends. Well, even if he won’t admit it to his stupid friends, he’s actually thankful for the little break in his work. And it’s actually nice to hang around them, they’re all idiots but they’re fun to be with, not that he’ll tell them that.

But it’s fun until they go to some bar then he brings home someone then that someone suddenly wants to go out with him bugging him to meet again when they clearly established it to be a one-night thing, thanks to his friends for urging him to hit on whoever they think Katsuki will like. Well, he tried since his friends won’t stop bothering him about the matter, saying shits about growing old alone when they’re just in their fucking 20’s. But well, it’s just sex for him, he doesn’t want to be in a fucking relationship. Or maybe he just hasn’t found someone he actually wants to be with cause honestly? Everyone just seems to piss him off.

But whatever, he stops reflecting on his life and decides to just sleep it off instead. He closes his eyes and finds himself already dozing off.

…

Where the fuck am I? He thinks when for the second time around, he finds himself in a place he doesn’t recognize. Oh, I remember being in a situation like this before. When is that again? Is it last night? Last week? Last month?

The feeling is similar to that but upon looking around, the decorations are very much different—darker, something goth like. The large windows are covered with black and red curtains and the lighting in the room is not as bright as the one he remembers—only candlelights fill the room dimly. The people around are also wearing dark colors and unlike the one he’s attended before, they have no masks. He checks his clothes and again, he’s not out of place. He’s wearing red long sleeves with black tie, black vest, long black coat, and black pants. And again, his hair is irritatingly combed down. He scans his surroundings and he notices people eyeing him and giving him weird glares. He ignores them and continues looking around.

Is this fucking real? It felt real. But where the fuck is this?

He remembers the last time he’s in a similar situation and then it hits him. Is he here too? He searches for a certain person, that beautiful boy he danced with last time. He’s walking towards the middle when suddenly someone pulls him, tugging him towards a big door then to a hallway then to a big room.

“What are you doing here?” The boy says, slight panic in his voice.

But Katsuki is stunned to even ask about that, gaze focusing on the endearing sight in front of him. It’s him, the same boy from last time—half white, half red hair, mismatched eyes, and… a scar?

It’s unsightly. He remembers the boy saying, but Katsuki’s right, it’s far from being unsightly. If anything, the scar adds to how ethereal the boy looks. He can’t help but be dazzled with the ravishing sight in front of him.

“Why are you here?” The boy asks again given Katsuki’s lack of response, all while nudging Katsuki’s arms lightly, taking him out of his reverie.

“I…uhm…I’m looking for you. I know I’ll find you here.” Katsuki finds himself answering.

“You can’t be here. You have to go.” The boy pulls him again maybe to bring him outside but Katsuki tugs him and turns him so they’re facing each other.

“It’s not unsightly. You still look pretty.” Katsuki says lifting his hand to touch the boy’s scar and the boy lets him, slight blush painted on his pale cheeks. “You just left last time and I haven’t even ask for your name so I decided to come here because I want to see you again.” Katsuki adds while softly running his thumb on the scar.

“How did you know I’ll be here?” The boy asks him while putting his hand on top of Katsuki’s.

“I’m not dumb, I know what you are.” Katsuki says leaving the scar to intertwine his hand with the boy’s.

“How did you know?”

“Your hands are as cold as ice and you’re pale and fucking pretty so yeah you’re definitely one of them.” Katsuki says slightly pinching the boy’s hand for emphasis on the cold as ice part because yeah it’s fucking cold.

“If you knew, then why did you come looking for me? It’s dangerous here. I’m dangerous.”

“I’m not fucking afraid of you. And why the fuck did you leave me in that fucking balcony like that?” He says sounding more hurt than angry.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…I’m not like you and we shouldn’t be—” The boy starts pulling his hand away from Katsuki’s hold.

“Bullshit. Then why did you go to our dance? Did you plan to find a prey and maybe suck the life out of them?” Katsuki spits and the boy widens his eyes in shock and then squints them, looking at Katsuki in a way he can’t perceive with how emotionless the boy looks.

“If you think of me that way then you should really get out of this place before I suck the life out of you.” The boy hisses at him, his voice filled with so much coldness sending shivers in Katsuki’s spine.

The boy walks away from him but before the boy reaches the door, Katsuki tugs him again.

“Look, I didn’t mean it that way, it’s just… you danced with me leaving me fucking speechless and then you just went and disappeared. I keep going to that stupid dance hoping to find you again but… I never found you so I got desperate and go here instead and I just…really want to see you again.”

The boy looks back at him, expression still unreadable. “You really shouldn’t be here. C’mon.” The boy then tugs him, cold hand pressed on his arms tightly.

They’re now in a different room, still dark and big but not as big as the one earlier. There are candlelights again, curtains drawn close, big bed near the window, a small table beside the bed and bookshelves filled with books on one side of the room, leaving a large space in the middle.

The boy is rummaging through something and he notices the boy picking up a vinyl then putting it on a gramophone resting on one corner of the room that Katsuki didn’t notice earlier. Then, the same music as their first dance fills the room.

“Shouto.” The boy suddenly speaks and Katsuki looks at him questioningly. “My name.” The boy adds as he holds out his hand asking Katsuki for a dance.

Katsuki doesn’t hesitate and take the other’s hand, the familiar warm feeling gnawing in his chest.

“I’m sorry for leaving like that. I also want to see you again but… I just thought that if you knew what I am, you’ll be scared like a normal human should be.” The boy says while they’re dancing to the music.

“Guess I’m not a normal human then.”

Shouto lets out a small chuckle making Katsuki’s stomach flips. Not to mention their faces are really close while they continue dancing to the melody, eyes never leaving each other’s.

“Can I ask why did you go to our dance?” Katsuki asks curiously.

“Mmm. I’m curious. I want to see a masquerade ball and maybe talk to humans without them hunting me or wanting to burn me.” The boy says.

“Fair enough.”

“Why aren’t you scared of me anyway?”

“Do I look like a fucking scaredy-cat to you? Am not afraid of anything.”

“You’re not afraid I might bite you?”

“Bite me then. I don’t think a pretty vampire’s bite will make me go running out of here.”

Shouto chuckles again and Katsuki’s heart definitely skips a beat upon hearing that beautiful soft sound. Not to mention the way Shouto looks at him all flushed and fond and fucking pretty.

Katsuki is again speechless, focusing solely on how they look at each other as they continue to dance. It’s full of so much passion, of admiration, of affection, of something more he doesn’t quite understand.

The music stops and they also halt their steps, their foreheads pressed upon each other’s while they smile and catch for breath. Shouto then stares at him with that same look while cupping his cheeks and slowly leaning in for a kiss. Katsuki closes his eyes and suddenly cold lips press into his warm ones.

When he opens his eyes again, he’s back in his room laying in his bed and staring at the ceiling with his face burning. He touches his lips, still feeling that lingering cold feeling against the warm sensation in his heart.

What the actual fuck was that?

So it’s a fucking dream again? He really thought it was real, the sensation felt fucking real, the dance, the kiss, everything felt fucking real during the time he’s dreaming. And even now that he’s awake, there’s a weird warm feeling left in his body that almost makes his skin crawl.

He recalls the dream again and now that he’s back in reality, he realizes the dream doesn’t really make sense. A vampire? He’s talking to a fucking vampire? And what’s with that conversation they had? It’s already weird that he’s dreaming about a vampire and even weirder that at that time they’re talking, it felt like he knew what he’s talking about and now it just doesn’t make any fucking sense. Fucking weird dreams. And the cherry on top is that it’s the first time his dream got a continuation, more so, it’s not on the same night.

Just like his previous dream, he remembers everything but the face of the person, or the vampire, whatever. But seriously, why the fuck would he dream about a fucking vampire of all people? He’s sure now that the person in his dreams is not one of the people he knows because fuck if vampires are real. And of course, they’re fucking not. Vampires are just creatures from folklore that people made up and passed on from generation to generation, and now people are just making stupid stories or shows about them. Maybe that’s why his dreams are about vampires. He recalls if he watched some vampire related shows these last few days but he can’t remember seeing one. Not that he watched those kind of shows with all the sappy romantic bullshits with vampires and whatnot. He just thought maybe he came across one when he’s flipping the channels. But fuck that, he won’t even watch those kind of shows even if that’s the only thing to watch on the tv so no, impossible. It’s certainly not because of that, so why the hell did he dreamt about a fucking sappy shit with a vampire? He would prefer if it would be about fighting vampires and the likes but dancing and kissing? What the fuck.

But that kiss though. He touches his lips again remembering the feeling. Fuck. It felt so real. And oddly enough, he kinda likes it. What? No. Fuck. Remembering the soft touch of cold lips in his makes his heartbeat pounds out of his chest and heat to crawl on his entire face. Fucking hell. Am I getting flushed over a mysterious vampire appearing in my dreams? How old am I? And what the fuck kind of fantasy is that?

He doesn’t want it to be like that, but he can’t help feeling what he’s feeling. He just wishes he can remember the face of the vampire to make it less weird or maybe that’s weirder. And the vampire’s name? He remembers the vampire telling him a name, but what is it again? He can’t recall.

…

His day went as usual except for one thing—he can’t stop thinking about the vampire in his dreams. And if that’s not weird enough, he even hopes the vampire will visit his dream again, so he kept looking forward to going to bed to sleep and dream. He’s really weirded out by himself. Does he have a fucking vampire kink that he just discovered? Is that really a thing? It’s definitely uncharacteristic of him to be that sappy idiot chasing the man of his dreams, literally, or vampire of his dreams? What the hell, he’s really getting weirder and weirder, and because of what? A two nights in a row dreams about a fucking vampire? He still doesn’t want that to be the case, but here he is in his bed, praying to the gods that his dream will be continued.

…

Katsuki wakes up in a bed, definitely not his as it is very big and antique looking with four posts and curtains hanging down. He feels someone hugging him from behind so he looks back. He sees him, Shouto, wide awake and looking back at him.

“Did you sleep well?” Shouto asks him.

“Uh, yeah. I guess.” He replies turning around to face Shouto.

Shouto kisses his forehead before staring back at him. “I want to stay longer but I need to go.” He says while brushing Katsuki’s hair.

“Where are you going?”

Shouto only looks at him and tighten his lips like Katsuki should know exactly what Shouto will be doing. Katsuki furrows his eyebrows in confusion. Then it hits him.

“Oh. Do you…kill them? Uh after, y’know, after you fed?”

Shouto shoots him an almost offended look. “No, my family is not like the others. And many of our kind are actually like us. We only feed, not kill. The humans don’t know about that because they forget us after we close the wound. The others though, they kill their prey and that is why the humans are fighting back.”

“Then you don’t have to go.” Katsuki says but Shouto only looks at him in confusion. “I mean, you can feed off me, then you can stay. Just don’t close the wound so I won’t forget.”

Shouto’s eyes widen at the offer then he shakes his head and cups Katsuki’s cheeks. “No, I don’t want to bite you and then leave a wound. Your skin is so soft and smooth to be marked like that.” He says while brushing Katsuki’s cheeks then he kisses Katsuki on the lips before leaving the bed.

“Wait, Shouto.” Katsuki says sitting on the bed and tugging the other back.

“Please. You can stay here if you want. I’ll be back soon.” Shouto says kissing his forehead.

And oddly enough, Shouto is back soon because the scene changes and he’s suddenly under Shouto, catching his breath as the other touches him everywhere. He then feels Shouto’s tongue licking his ears then kissing down to the side of his neck. He arches his back as the sensation runs through his body down to his crotch.

“You smell so good.” Shouto whispers near his mouth before kissing him passionately.

Fuck.

Katsuki wakes up panting, heart beating fast, and face flushed. He feels something in his boxers and he curses as he realizes he had an erection from a fucking dream. He feels he’s back to a younger him having a fucking wet dream, but now to a fucking a vampire? What the fuck. Well, he hoped to see the vampire again, but he didn’t expect it to be that sexual. He’s really becoming odd now, having fantasies like that. Maybe that’s really a kink? What the actual fuck. He brushes off the thought, but he can’t ignore the hardness down there, so he begrudgingly touches himself just to get it over with. Well, no one has to know that he gets off thinking about a faceless vampire sucking his dick.

…

Night after night, he finds himself in that movie-like dream with the vampire. Sometimes very intimate, other times they’re just cuddling or dancing to the same song as their first dance. Sometimes they’re fighting, Katsuki still insisting that the vampire fed off him but the other still standing his ground, controlling himself and not biting Katsuki, not even once.

It’s really like watching a movie, but Katsuki being the character in it. Everything always felt so real that even after he wakes up, he can still feel all the emotions he felt during the dream. Sometimes he’ll wake up flushed, sometimes pissed off, and sometimes, which he doesn’t particularly like, aroused. He doesn’t like it because jerking off while thinking about that mysterious vampire haunting his dreams is making him all conflicted. It feels good yeah, but what the fuck, it’s definitely weird. It’s odd now that he got off more because of those dreams than because of something real, like watching a porn or literally bringing someone on his bed.

The weirdest thing of all is that every time Katsuki wakes up, he feels more and more connected to the dream that he now feels that the dream is already a part of him, albeit how odd it is. He’s not a dream expert, but anyone will know that having a continuous dream with the same person every fucking night for the past days is not normal. Not to mention he’s getting too attached to the dream and to the mysterious vampire, and it’s all getting out of hand because there are days when he can’t stop thinking about them that he starts spacing out. He thinks maybe he needs to get his head checked up, but whatever. No matter how fucking insane it sounds, he actually enjoys the dreams. He likes dreaming about the vampire, he likes their presence, he even prefers being with the vampire in the dream than talking to some assholes in his work. Fuck. It sounds like he’s falling in love with some unreal mysterious creature haunting his dreams but he can’t help it, those dreams and the vampire are something extraordinary breaking through his ordinary life. He must be losing his sanity but fuck that, the dreams actually keep him sane.

He accepts the dreams but that doesn’t mean he already understands why he’s dreaming about those in the first place. They still make him curious, and one thing that piqued his curiosity the most is why he feels like he knows the vampire and why it feels like everything happening to them really did happen. And one more thing, no matter how strong he connects to the dream, to his chagrin, he still can’t remember the face or the name of the vampire.

…

“Shouto!” Katsuki says in panic as he sees Shouto coming back wounded. “What the hell happened!? Why the fuck are you bleeding!?”

“They got me.” Shouto says stumbling so Katsuki catches him then lays him on the bed. He panics, not sure what to do as he sees Shouto’s eyes already drifting. He’s losing too much blood and he probably hasn’t fed yet that’s why he’s becoming weak.

He rummages through his thoughts on what to do. He’s not that knowledgeable about vampires and how their anatomy or physiology works. How do they heal? I thought they’re immortal so why is Shouto bleeding like he’s dying? Is he going to die? What the fuck should I do?

He ponders but the only thing he knows is that they’re feeding on human blood so it hits him.

“Feed.” He says leaning down and offering his neck at Shouto because at this point, that’s the only thing he can offer and hopefully it will help.

“No, I can’t…I—” Shouto says weakly.

“Just…feed already. I don’t know what else to do and if this will really help, but fuck...Shouto, just listen.” He says coaxing Shouto to just accept his offer.

“I told you, I don’t…I won’t bite you, not—“ Shouto starts but Katsuki’s mixed emotions of panic, worry, or anger consume him, cutting Shouto’s words out as he snaps.

“Fucking bite me already or I’ll kill you!” He’s shouting now, irritated at the stubbornness of the vampire. “Shouto, just fucking listen! Don’t you dare die on me! You’re supposed to live for eternity. Fuck! Just bite me and feed and I already told you before to fucking turn me because I want to… I want to spend eternity with you. Don’t you fucking die.” He says with a shaky voice at the end.

Shouto doesn’t move for a second then he weakly pulls Katsuki, holding his head with one hand and brushing his neck with other before leaning closer and biting him. To Katsuki’s surprise, it’s not painful, it’s actually slightly pleasurable that now, he doesn’t remember how long Shouto is feeding off him. He’s starting to feel lightheaded with the loss of blood.

“Shouto.” He calls, hoping that will make the vampire to stop, unfortunately he doesn’t. But still, Katsuki lets him, he trusts the other and if that will keep him from dying then it’s fine with him even though his consciousness is really drifting away now.

He doesn’t know what happened, it seems he passed out but he’s still in the same room, laying in bed. He looks around, sitting up and searching for Shouto. He wills himself to stand though he feels weak and still lightheaded.

“Shouto.” He calls weakly.

Shouto peaks his head out from the bathroom, then he goes rushing towards Katsuki.

“Don’t stand. You have to rest.” Shouto says motioning him back to bed.

“Are you…alright? What happened?” Katsuki asks searching Shouto’s body for signs of wound from earlier while sitting back on the bed.

“Yes, thanks to you.” Shouto says kissing his cheeks. “The humans got us, and like I told you before, they have weapons to kill our kind. Thankfully, I got away with a wound not entirely deep to kill me. But still, if it wasn’t for you, I could’ve…died from lost of blood. I can’t thank you enough but I still feel guilty. I lost control. You uhm…taste really good, and that’s one of the reasons why I don’t want to bite you because I might never stop. I… almost killed you, I’m so sorry.” He adds touching the small bite marks in his neck.

“But you stopped, and I didn’t die, did I? And I fucking offered in the first place. So don’t look so down. You know I already offered more than once before, I even asked you to turn me into a fucking vampire.” Katsuki says knowing Shouto still didn’t turn him into a vampire with how human he still feel, not to mention he still feels weak.

“I know, and I already told you why I still can’t.” Shouto says not looking at him like there’s something he wants to add but can’t put to words.

Katsuki looks at him curiously then he notices something odd— Shouto’s things packed up in one corner of the room. His eyebrows furrow in confusion.

“Are you leaving? Where are you going?”

Shouto looks at him, expression unreadable. Then he holds Katsuki’s hands upon speaking. “I have to. Father said the humans already know our place and they’re coming here soon. We have to regroup with the others and fight back.”

“Bring me then. I’ll stand by your side and fight. Please. Just turn me into your kind. I mean it when I said I want to spend eternity with you.”

Shouto only stares at him with a painful smile then he stands asking Katsuki for a dance. He takes the vampire’s hand and lets cold hands hold him firmly. Shouto is now hugging him while they sway with a music they play in their heads.

“I’m sorry but I can’t turn you now. Not when humans have a way to kill us. Not when the war between your kind and ours is still going. I don’t want you to be in danger. I’ll be back, I promise.” Shouto whispers to his ears, his voice filled with sadness and conviction.

Katsuki believes him, but he doesn’t want to be left like he’s a fragile possession that needs to be protected, it irks him so he pulls out from the hug furiously.

“What the fuck do you think I am!? I can fucking fight alongside you! Don’t you dare look down on me like that!” He says stumbling, contrary to the strong physique he’s supposed to be presenting.

Shouto catches him but he only shoves the other’s arms away, and when he looks at Shouto, he sees rage also starting to consume him.

“I know you can! But this is not your fight and I can’t risk your life for it! I also want to spend the rest of my life with you! That’s why…that’s why I’ll fight, so after this, we can live together in peace.” Shouto says, his initial loud exclaim turns to something softer, his voice almost cracking at the end.

But Katsuki won’t back down. He still don’t understand why Shouto thinks he will be in danger when he can in fact take care of himself. And why leave him behind if Shouto wants them to be together. “You’re not thinking clearly about this! If you want to be with me then let me come with you. I will—“

He is cut with a loud bang on the door then he sees two people coming in, or maybe not people because they’re as pale Shouto, definitely vampires.

“Shouto! You suddenly disappeared when we’re attacked earlier! Are you alright?” A woman with white hair and few strikes of red says while running towards Shouto and checking him for any injuries. “Oh you’re not alone. Hi, I’m Fuyumi.” The woman says turning towards Katsuki and smiling at him, not noticing the tension around them before they barge in.

“Fuyumi, we can’t stay longer, we have to go. Shouto, we went here to fetch you, c’mon. Touya is outside waiting.” A man with a spiky white hair says upon entering the room. He also notices Katsuki so he nods at him before checking for the door, maybe to see if they’re being followed because they’re both acting frantically and Katsuki knows something is wrong.

“Shouto, you have to hurry. They’re near.” Fuyumi says at Shouto then she looks at Katsuki and gives him a soft sad smile before joining the man near the door.

He remembers Shouto mentioning he has siblings, so maybe those are them, Fuyumi and Natsuo, if he remembers correctly. It feels like they both know Katsuki, so maybe Shouto is talking to them about him.

In the short moment he’s preoccupied with the interruption, Shouto lunges at him, hugging him tightly. “I promise we’ll spend eternity together. I’ll come back, but you have to promise me too. Promise me you’ll wait. And promise me, you won’t forget.”

Katsuki wants to argue again and push Shouto and maybe punch him so he’ll think clearly. He tries to pull from the hug but Shouto suddenly bites him, making his head lightheaded again. Then he can feel Shouto’s tongue licking his neck, licking the wounds.

“No… why did you heal the wounds, I’ll forget you, dumbass.” He says feeling limp against Shouto’s hold.

Shouto brings him to the bed. He tries to stand again but Shouto only pushes him lightly. “I’m so sorry.”

“Wait…Bite me again, don’t heal the wounds. I’ll tell them you’re not killing us, please.” It’s not really like him to beg but his mind is already cloudy. He knows it’s nearly impossible that humans will believe what he’s saying especially they’re already deep in the war. It’s not like the killing between vampires and humans will suddenly stop if he says the truth. But he’s becoming desperate, he can’t move and stand and follow after Shouto with how lightheaded and weak he feels. All he can do is think of whatever solution may work, no matter how pathetic that is.

“We’ve talked about this. No one will believe you. They’ll just deem you as a traitor siding with the enemies. I know you’ll do just that and involve yourself with the war no matter what I tell you. And I don’t want you to be killed. I don’t want you involving yourself anymore. I want you to be safe, that’s why I healed your wounds. I know you won’t forget me entirely, I’m here, right?” Shouto asks, his hand placed in Katsuki’s chest, right above his heart. “Promise me you won’t forget. When I come back, promise me you’ll remember me.” He adds, tears falling from his eyes.

Katsuki is still against this but he can’t do anything but to believe Shouto. His vision is already blurring but he tries to respond because he wants to assure Shouto he will not forget him, he’ll never forget him despite his wounds being healed. Shouto’s in his heart, he won’t forget.

“I promise.”

Then he feels something cold touches his lips. He forces his eyes to open one more time and he sees a blurry image of Shouto whispering something to him. “I also promise to come back. We’ll see each other again, I promise. I love you.” Then Shouto leans in again for a kiss.

When Shouto pulls from the kiss, Katsuki manages to say a few words before he finally submit to unconsciousness.

“I love you too, Shouto.”

…

Katsuki wakes up with wet stained pillow and tears still running down his face. He feels the words hanging in his mouth, but the name is missing again. He still can’t stop crying. It felt so real, his heart painfully clenching in his chest.

When his sobs died down and only short breaths from crying are heard in the room, he tries to ease the lingering ache in his heart by mentally repeating to himself that it’s just a dream, it’s not fucking real. But no matter how much he tells himself that, the pain won’t leave his chest so he affirms himself instead that it’s just a painful dream and later when he sleeps, he’ll see the vampire again and maybe his dream will be the one where they’re happy. Hell, he even prefers waking up aroused than waking up crying with an unwanted feeling in his chest that hurts so fucking much.

His mood is already ruined for the day. He’s more irritated and grumpier than usual, if his colleagues even noticed. When he’s not shouting at anyone who tried to disturb him, he’s mostly just spacing out. He can’t stop thinking about the stupid vampire and the scene that unfolded in his dreams.

Contrary to what he initially thought, the vampire didn’t appear in his dream that night, not the next night nor the nights after. His mood is getting worse as the days passed without the vampire’s appearance. And at the one month mark since the dreams stopped, he knows he’s fucked up.

The dream or the absence of it is already messing with his real life given the times he is reprimanded at work for being physically present but mentally absent with how uninvested and uninterested he is. And when he does make his presence known, he just intimidates everyone with his sour mood accompanied with shouting, cursing, and glowering. Fortunately, his boss is kind enough to let him off the hook, telling him to just take a few days off to clear his mind with whatever is going on. Of course they won’t instantly fire him, he’s one of the best asset of the company so they don’t really have a choice but to let him vent for a while. Doesn’t mean he’ll use that power or importance to gain a few days of vacation, he’s just feeling detached lately so maybe a few days to himself will help so he accepts the offer and takes a few days off.

He realizes a few days to himself is not helping because here he is in his own apartment, alone and definitely not having a good vacation with how lonely he feels. And it’s not just loneliness, it’s something more—exasperation, restlessness, a hollow feeling he doesn’t quite understand and all that because of missing the dreams, or the vampire, or whatever the fuck.

He starts reading into the dreams, what could that mean and why they suddenly stopped. He thinks that maybe that’s the fucking ending of the shitshow, the vampire leaving him after biting and licking the wounds so that he’ll forget. But he didn’t forget about the dreams, just the face and the name of the vampire. Everything else, he can still remember. So what could those really mean? Do they really mean something? Or is he just crazy to think the dreams mean something?

Fucking hell.

He’s internally cursing himself now, it’s all just a fucking dream so why he’s spending too much time thinking about what the dream could mean, he doesn’t really know. He doesn’t understand why he is so attached to the dreams that they are now messing with his sense of reality. It’s already unhealthy, he can’t continue obsessing over the dreams or the vampire or what they mean or why they feel so real. He needs to stop focusing on those or else he will really lose his job and at this rate, his sanity.

He feels his stomach grumbles and realizes he’s laying in bed for who knows how long now, so he checks the time and sees that it’s almost time for dinner. He hasn’t eaten anything since breakfast so he gets up and checks if there’s anything to cook. When he found none, he decides to just go and eat out, and maybe to also get some fresh air to clear his mind off. Yeah, that’s what he needs, he should stay away from the thoughts about his dreams as much as possible. Locking himself in his apartment is not helping with how his mind is consumed by those thoughts the whole day. He should spend his little vacation doing something else, maybe going out with his friends or just doing the things he enjoy but doesn’t have the time to do so with how busy he is. Maybe hiking or just appreciating a great view or scenery even within the city. Well, he could do that in the next few days, for now he’ll just eat in a restaurant and walk for a while to enjoy the cold breeze of autumn.

When he’s done eating, he walks through the busy street full of different shops with people walking around, some stopping by the shops and some just passing by. It’s too lively for Katsuki’s liking. The sun already set and the sky is already dark but the street is bright with the shops’ lights and lamp posts illuminating the area, not to mention the idle chatters of the people giving the place a cheerful atmosphere. He’s just passing through to get to the park with fewer people hopefully, so he can enjoy the weather in peace.

He’s almost at the end of the street when his steps immediately halt upon hearing a familiar melody. That same melody as their…

Would you like to dance with me? The blurry image of the vampire suddenly appears in his mind and then their first dance and then at the balcony.

You’re beautiful.

The music continues to play and he’s left standing in place as his dreams flash back.

It’s unsightly.

He’s still standing in the middle of the street, not sure what to do, people passing through with some harshly brushing on his shoulders. He should just continue to walk towards the park and ignore all the scenes replaying in his mind. That’s the reason he’s here in the first place, to forget and move on from his dreams.

You smell so good.

I’ll be back soon.

They got me.

I’m sorry.

But now, everything is in his thoughts, the happy moments, the sad ones, the fight, everything. And before he knows it, his feet are already moving on their own, towards the source of that beautiful sound—a music box shop.

I also want to spend the rest of my life with you.

He finds himself standing in front of the door, the melody now louder and clearer coming from inside the shop. He’s now contemplating if he should go in or if he should just walk away.

Promise me you won’t forget.

The words continue to echo in his mind so he takes a step, going inside the shop and looking for the music box that’s emanating the melody they always danced to.

I also promise to come back.

And when he found it, he slowly reaches for the antique looking music box with its fancy looking engravings and designs, the music now fading slowly.

I love you.

He finally touched it but he almost jumps back when cold hand brushes beside his as someone also reaches for the music box, their hands slightly touching since they both aim to get the box. He is ready to snap at the person, telling he got it first so it’s his but when he looks beside him, he now jumps back, his heart suddenly beats really fast.

Half red, half white hair, split in the middle. Heterochromatic eyes staring back at him—one turquoise, one gray, like a peaceful and calm sea for one and a stormy and angry sea for the other. And a scar around his left eye, adding to how ethereal the boy looks.

Then his dreams flash back again, but now with the beautiful boy in front of him as the mysterious vampire and he can feel it, he knows it’s definitely him, he feels so sure.

But what the fuck. That’s impossible.

He sees the boy’s eyes also widening, looking as surprised as him, as if he also recognized Katsuki. Then suddenly, there are arms all around him, the boy hugging him tight. He only stands there, stunned, bewildered, astonished, and feeling all other different emotions brought by the sudden contact. And there’s a wave of nostalgia seeping through, filling the void inside him. Like he finally found something missing, something he doesn’t even know he’s been looking for. Like coming home after long years of not going back. Maybe it’s because of finally seeing the boy again after the absence of the dreams these last few days or maybe even more, because the feeling is too strong, too deep, to just be from a dream.

Dream…maybe he’s just dreaming now…isn’t he? If this is just a dream, it feels terrifyingly real, the hug, the boy, everything. He can feel his heartbeat pounding loudly and his head a little foggy with different thoughts and emotions he feels simultaneously. It’s a bittersweet feeling—pain, happiness, longing, contentment, and other contrasting emotions that makes him confused. He doesn’t know what to react so he only lets the boy hug him. He doesn’t return the hug even though he really wants to just hug him back. Everything just feels so bizarre and he doesn’t even know if he’s dreaming or not so he stops himself. There’s no other explanation though, he must be dreaming so he’s now internally punching himself to wake up.

“It’s you. My promise…I promise I’ll find you but I…” The boy’s voice cracks and Katsuki can feel his shoulder being wet.

He doesn’t know why but now, he’s also crying remembering the last dream he had and their promise. The vampire’s promise to come back and his promise to never forget.

Chapter Text

Shouto is sitting in a cafe, looking at the world around him pass by. People walking fast to go home after a long day of work, friends chatting idly, a mother cheerfully playing with her baby, lovers holding each other's hands—a peacefully normal day for everyone.

“Dude, I watched this documentary last night, about vampires, and I’m telling you they’re definitely real.” He hears someone speaks.

He instantly turns his head towards the other table upon hearing that. He’s not one to eavesdrop, it’s just hearing about vampires always catches his attention. He sees a blond boy with a black strike in his hair and a redhead with a spiky hair talking to each other.

“Bro, they’re not real. Those are just myths.” The redhead says.

“They are real bro! This documentary cited evidences that they existed and probably still existing now!” The blond exclaims.

“You’re watching too much of that kind of shows, man.” The redhead says dismissively.

“But bro you gotta listen to this! It says that many, many years ago, there’s a war between humans and vampires…” The blond continues to tell about the documentary as the redhead listens.

Shouto tries not to eavesdrop anymore. He’s amused that some of the things mentioned by the blond are actually true but some are just added information.

Well, several years after the war between humans and vampires, the hunting and killing finally died down. People must’ve grown tired of hunting them or maybe they thought they’ve killed every last one of them causing the war to stop.

But apparently, they hadn’t killed all of them. Humans managed to reduce their number since only a few of them remains, and fortunately, his family belongs to the few that survived. And now, they can live peacefully along with the humans since after an era, the existence of their kind only remains as a myth, not mentioned in any history books. The reason humans hid the truth is still a puzzle for them vampires but at least they won’t go around while humans fear or suspect them. Maybe that’s one of the reason why, so humans can live without fear.

Since humans are inherently curious with imaginative minds, many shows, fiction and non fiction revolve around vampires. But still, it doesn’t mean many people believe they are real. Just like what he heard, only few people believe and if there are documentaries proving their existence, well, maybe they’re not that convincing because if he tells people he’s a vampire, they will probably deem him as insane.

With their nonexistence from human history, they can now live in peace and it’s now a perfect world to live in. Except, it’s not. For other vampires maybe, but for him, it will never be the perfect world, not when he’s not with the one person he wants to spend his peaceful eternal life with.

After the war stopped, he came back for his beloved, but he wasn’t there anymore, he can’t find him anymore. He looked everywhere, every part of the country to find him but he’s too late as he remembered he’s human, he doesn’t have an eternal life like him, he’s not immortal, he will die, and he probably already did.

So after he realized that, he spent most of his life locked in his room, away from the peaceful world he thought he wanted. He wanted the war to stop but not at the cost of losing the person he loves. And that’s the exact reason why he left him. He thought leaving him behind was for the best, since he didn’t want him to be involved with all the fighting and the hunting. And back then, he’s still not sure if he will come out of the war alive so he can’t bring him and put the life of the person he wanted to protect the most in danger. He didn’t want to lose him, but in the end he still did.

He doesn’t remember how many years he had spent in grief, in sorrow, in hatred directed at himself for leaving and giving a promise he hadn’t fulfilled. He blamed himself for losing him. It’s not the war that cost him to lose the one he loves but his own foolishness for thinking he’ll still find him after the war subsided. He spent his life regretting that decision he made.

He shouldn’t have run away and left because now, the only thing he can hold onto are the memories left behind by the person he loves. Their first dance, first kiss, his beautiful eyes, taunting smile—everything about him, forever ingrained in his mind. Even after decades or centuries, Shouto is sure he’ll never forget any of that. He’ll never forget that one boy who captured his heart the moment he set his eyes on him. But sadly, that’s all he has now—memories. All he can do is painfully reminisce the moments they shared together, for eternity.

He’s not sure if he can still do that, if years and years of painfully going back to those days will still keep him sane, because sometimes, he feels that he’s already losing it. If not for the support of his family especially his sister, he must’ve already lost it given how his heart is aching for the past years. His family reminds him that they should be grateful for the sacrifice other vampires did to attain the peace they have now. They tell him all he can do is live, see the world, and enjoy the peace they fought for.

So here he is, seeing the world because he doesn’t want to see the sad looks his family is giving him. He knows it also pains them, seeing him broken for too long. So he slowly opens his door to the world. He tries to enjoy the peace even if he feels numb, even if there’s a hollow feeling in his chest, an empty space that cannot be filled with anything else but him, his beloved. He realized he can never move on, not when his heart is still searching for something he had lost many years ago.

“Shouto.” Fuyumi says, taking him out of his reverie. “You’re in deep thoughts again. Want to talk about it?” She adds, smiling softly.

“No it’s fine, Fuyumi-nee.” He smiles at her, he doesn’t want her to worry anymore so he just changes the topic. “Oh. I think I’d look for a job now. I haven’t been helping these past years.”

They’re actually living quite fine so they all managed to survive with all the expenses even without him working but he promised them he won’t lock himself anymore so getting a job may help.

“Oh really?! I’m so happy, Shouto! Maybe you should try and apply where Touya-nii works?” Fuyumi says excitedly.

“Uhm, at a bar? I can try but I don’t think I’m fit to be a bartender.”

“I think you’ll do just fine but if you want, let’s just look for other jobs first. I’ll help you!” Fuyumi says cheerily.

“Okay. Thank you, Fuyumi-nee.”

…

True enough, his sister helps him look for a job. They already spent a few days looking for one and he never thought it’s not going to be easy to find one, especially when he prefers working at night. Sometimes he goes out alone since his sister is also working. And being out of their house after years of locking himself, he finds the city actually enjoyable. He enjoys walking around, visiting parts of the city his sister said are very beautiful. Sometimes, he’s just walking through a busy street, looking at shops and at different cafes they haven’t visited yet.

But every time he’s out, he finds himself rushing towards someone with an ash blond hair, tapping their shoulders and hoping it’s him, getting dejected when they turn around and he sees they’re not him. He always felt hopeful but then instantly saddened when he realized it’s never going to be him. It all happened years ago, but he doesn’t know why he’s still hoping he’ll find him and why he’s still searching amongst the crowd for that blond hair. He’s still holding on to his promise that he’ll find him and to his beloved’s promise that he will not forget him, even though that’s impossible since so many years had passed.

He’s walking in a busy street full of people, shops, and lights brightening the night when a familiar melody catches his attention. The music brings back so many memories—both happy and sad ones. He closes his eyes, reminiscing all those memories while listening to the music—their first dance, how those beautiful eyes drown him, their first kiss, how those soft warm lips touch his cold ones, their fights, how they’re both hurting and crying and shouting at each other and how they just make out and cuddle after. And the most painful one, when he left his beloved.

Everything that happened that night is still clear in his memory. He remembers his siblings telling him they need to go, but he can’t move, he’s hugging his beloved really tight while crying nonstop. After their last kiss and after seeing his beloved sleeping with tears falling down his cheeks, he can’t move his body and just leave him, until Touya came to bring him out of his stupor, telling him they have to run or they will all die. His eldest brother told him he’ll bring his beloved to the town where he’ll wake up safely. He didn’t want to let go but he had to and he trusted his brother. So he hugged the person he loves one last time before running with Fuyumi and Natsuo, running while his heart was throbbing in pain.

He opens his eyes again, he doesn’t want to linger on that painful memory so he walks, ignoring the music that makes his heart aching badly. But when he’s walked quite a few steps, the music keeps ringing in his ears, along with the memories replaying in his mind. He remembers that one time they danced in his room, laughing and smiling after as they both catch for breath, and that other time when they just played the music, listening to it while cuddled in bed and whispering sweet nothings to each other. The melody not only brings back sad ones, but also those memories that makes his heart beating really fast. He smiles painfully, reminiscing all those moments brought by the music. Remembering the happy ones is actually not bad, something he holds onto when he’s really sad. So he decides to go back, to buy the music box because that’s something that makes him remember his beloved, not that he will ever forget. It’s just having the music box with him is like materializing the memories he can never put his hands onto. So he runs back to the music box shop to have something he can touch, see, and hear when his mind is consumed by his beloved.

Upon entering the shop, he doesn’t mind the people around and he instantly walks towards the source of the melody to get it. When he touches the music box though, there’s someone also aiming for it so he looks beside him and what he sees almost takes the life out of him, immortality be damned.

Impossible. He thinks as his eyes grow wide and his heart beats fast.

It’s him. The same ruby eyes staring widely back at him. The same ash blond hair but now spiky and not flat. The same chubby cheeks he loves to pinch. The same lips he knows to well. It’s him, his beloved.

He doesn’t miss a second, the moment he recognizes the boy, he instantly wraps his arms around him, not thinking of anything else but how much he misses him, how much he wants to see him again, how happy he is that he sees him again. The feeling is bittersweet as he remembers all the time they’re not together, how long it took them to see each other again, how he hadn’t fulfilled his promise back then.

“It’s you. My promise…I promise I’ll find you but I…” He realizes he’s already crying and it’s suddenly hard to continue talking without his voice breaking.

His beloved doesn’t hug him back but he feels him also crying, so he pulls back to wipe the other’s tears. He sees confusion on his beloved’s face, as if recognizing him but not really. Shouto himself is confused as to how this is possible, but vampires’ mere existence is already hard to fathom, so things like this shouldn’t surprise him that much. But still, how is this possible? He knows his beloved is still human, given the way his body feels warm so how is he still here, after many years had passed? Humans aren’t supposed to live that long, it’s just impossible.

“I’m…I’m dreaming, aren’t I?” His beloved asks while wiping his own tears. “Fuck, this feels real.”

Dreaming? Shouto’s sure they’re not in a dream, so why his beloved says so, he doesn’t understand.

“You’re not in a dream. Do you…do you remember me?” He asks nervously. He sees his beloved’s eyes grow wider, seeming to realize this is indeed real.

“The fuck…this is impossible. You, you’re the one from my dreams, aren’t you? No, fuck…it can’t be.” He says, tears falling from his eyes again. “Why the fuck am I crying…shit, why are you here? Why…how? Fuck, I think I’m losing my shit.” He adds running his hands through his spiky hair, while still looking confused.

He recognizes me from a dream? He’s dreaming about me? His confusion grows but answering a question with another question will just make their conversation even more confusing and he doesn’t really know how to answer all the questions.

“Shouto.” He just says, holding the other’s hand, his cold touch against the other’s warm ones. “My name is Shouto.” He adds hoping he’ll remember, just like what he promised him.

His beloved’s eyes blink at him slowly before widening even more as if the name ring a bell and he remembers something. “It’s…really you.” He says looking down at their intertwined hands and then staring back at him. Shouto is about to say something but his beloved suddenly hugs him as tears run down his cheeks. “Are you real? I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“You’re not dreaming. It’s me.” He says even though it seems his beloved only remembers him from dreams. He pulls from the hug and reaches for the other’s hand lifting them to touch his face. “I’m real.” He adds, guiding the other to touch him, to prove that he’s really here and that he’s not just dreaming.

“I must be insane for believing this shit but what the fuck, you’re…really here.” His beloved says pinching his cheeks lightly.

“I am and I’m staying forever. I’m sorry it took us this long—“ He is cut when warm lips touch his own. He returns the kiss, passionately before turning to something desperate, like catching up for the time they haven’t been together, for all those years they spent apart, for all the painful times without his beloved beside him. His beloved kisses him as if he also feels that same pain, that same sorrow and longing, like he also finds something he’s been looking for.

Shouto doesn’t want to stop kissing his beloved but the owner of the shop coughs and he realizes they’re still in that music box store so he quickly buys the music box and pulls the other in a secluded area in a park nearby to kiss him again. This time the pain is almost gone, the kiss is now filled with passion, with love, just like the old times. Everything feels the same, the familiar touch of his beloved, the familiar warmth, the familiar feeling in his chest, everything.

They stop to catch for breath and that’s when everything sinks in—he’s not in the past, he’s in the present, his beloved in his arms, in this present time, in this peaceful world. This is real, they found each other, after many years, they still found each other. He realizes tears are falling from his eyes again and when he looks at his beloved, he’s also crying so he hugs him again and this time he won’t let go.

…

Reincarnation. That’s the only plausible explanation as to how his beloved is still alive. His beloved which goes by the name Bakugou Katsuki now seemed to easily believe that it’s real. Katsuki told him about the dreams and he’s surprised that those dreams were actually the moments they shared together, both happy and sad ones. He cried when Katsuki told every dreams he had, happy that his beloved remembered him through dreams. And Katsuki cried when he told him every one of those were true, that it all happened in the past. He told him everything, about being a vampire, about the war, about his promise and that he came back but his beloved was gone, and the years he spent regretting that decision. Katsuki told him he didn’t know why he easily believed everything. He just said he can feel that all those were true, like a part of him his mind can’t remember but his heart can. And Shouto felt happy that his beloved kept his promise of not forgetting him, that Katsuki remembered him through his dreams. Dreams that were actually memories from a lifetime ago that his beloved retained even after reincarnating, all because of his promise and love for Shouto.

Shouto also loves him so much. And now, a year after they found each other, Shouto still feels guilty that he hadn’t found him earlier but Katsuki always reassures him that it’s fine because now, they’re in each other’s arms again, living together as if the past is just yesterday. And with the world far from the chaos of the war, they can now live peacefully—like a normal couple who goes to work and then goes home to each other’s embrace, like normal lovers who go out on dates, enjoying the world around them, visiting beautiful places. And they’re actually doing all that, what all happy couples are doing, except they’re not normal, with how cold their hands both are, with how pale they now look, and how they only work at night. Katsuki demanded him to finally turn him into a vampire so Shouto obliged, because he promised that when the world is finally peaceful, then they can start their eternity and this is it, the start of their forever.

“You’re thinking too much again, Icyhot.” Katsuki says kissing his nose, taking him out of his reverie.

Shouto rolls his eyes at the nickname though the meaning behind it really made him laugh. Katsuki told him that he’s as cold as ice literally, but like hot which Shouto doesn’t know what that means at first and when he learned what it means, he just laughed hard hiding his embarrassment at the compliment and so the nickname Icyhot was born. He’s still amused by how easily Katsuki makes him smile.

“I’m sorry. It’s just…I’m really happy, Katsuki.” He says resting his head on Katsuki’s chest, as they lay in bed. Shouto hugs him tightly, scared to lose Katsuki again. He doesn’t want to go back to those painful years and though he knows that will never happen again, he just can’t help but be scared. He wants the happiness he feels to stay for eternity. “I love you, Katsuki.”

“Fucking sappy vampire.” Katsuki says hugging him back. “I love you too, Shouto.” He adds before locking their lips together. “Don’t fucking suffocate me as if someone will snatch me away. You know you’re stuck with me forever, right?” Katsuki says when they break the kiss.

“I know, it’s just…”

“Don’t fucking dwell on those years. We have eternity to make up for all those painful times. I know how hard that must have been for you so we’re going to create new memories, all happy and shit that you won’t think about those sad ones anymore, okay?”

“Okay.” He answers. Katsuki’s right, they have been together for a year and Katsuki always makes him happy. He also always reminds him not to dwell too much on the past and he’s right, because they are now happy with each other, and that’s what Shouto should focus on.

He smiles as he hugs Katsuki even tighter. He shouldn’t be scared anymore, Katsuki is here with him and will always be. And he’s here to stay forever and just like what Katsuki said, they will create new memories that they will treasure for the rest of their eternal lives.